[2017 Expert Review] 10 Best laptops for Graphic Design and Animation (2D/3D) You Must Buy

This post shows you some of the best laptops for graphic design and animation (2D and 3D) that can be used by designers for work or school in 2017. We’re usually quite adept at picking out gaming laptops and putting together gaming PCs. We know what types of games we want and what sort of specifications the device needs to have but unfortunately, we aren’t as skilled at picking out laptops for designing. Even though they follow almost the same criteria as gamers, picking out laptops for designers can be a bit tricky as the display size and resolution also come into play along with the regular RAM and CPU requirements.

Most designers also prefer using iMac or MacBook﻿, as they are some of the most powerful devices on the market. If you’re just starting out at designing in school or if you’re a designer in the market looking for a new laptop for work, you don’t need to look anymore. We’ve put together a list of the top 10 Best Laptops for Graphics Designers and Animators that will aid designers in doing their job well.

What do Graphic Designers and Animators Need in a Laptop?

There are few things that a graphic designer should keep in mind before buying a laptop for designing. Most of the designers usually end up buying a machine that is under powered and doesn’t have much processing power to render things quickly.

CPU and RAM

These are the two crucial things you need to check when buying a laptop for designing. Graphics designing is a very resource intensive task and having less RAM or processing power can lead to slow render times, system hangs and over all unwanted delay. Usually, it’s better to invest more in a laptop with better specs because the device will start to pay itself over time.

For modern day designing such as designer students, it’s suggested that designers have at least a quad core processor along with 8 GB of RAM. More RAM can be added later if 8GB simply doesn’t cut it. For professional designers, more powerful laptops are recommended, preferably the extreme series processors and 12+GB of RAM.

Graphics Card

Unlike in gaming, the graphics card on a designing laptop is basically used to process the image/video to be displayed on the screen. The GPU should be carefully selected keeping in mind the type of display your laptop has. A laptop with a higher resolution and a higher pixel density will require a GPU to match.

If you're just creating 2D work, you can save money by not getting a high-end GPU. What you get with a high-end graphics card is to ability to move around a highly detailed or textured 3D model with no lag. Such a GPU can handle detailed textured 3D scenes and move around without lag.

Display

The most important part of selecting the best laptop for a designer is its display. A display with a higher resolution would mean more detailed images with proper depth and clarity. A resolution of 1920x1080 pixels should provide ample working space and still be able to show menus and control palettes. Next consideration is screen size. A larger screen will enable you to see details clearer (if the resolution is high enough) and make it easier to click on the menus and control palettes. In our opinion, a 15-inch screen with a resolution of 1920x1080 is the minimum requirement for a laptop to be efficiently used for graphics designing.

These were the points we looked for in selecting the best laptops for graphic design. By the way, if you are a gaming addict, you can use these laptops for graphic design and gaming too. The laptops mentioned below are the best compromise between specifications and cost and are perfect for both professional graphics designers and novices who are just starting out.

Expert Review of 10 Best Laptops for Graphic Designers and Animators in 2017

Named after the Greek Sun god himself, Acer’s new child in the Predator series is a perfect match for designers working on a budget. With a guaranteed price to performance match, the Helios 300 takes the cake when budget laptops are considered. The Helios comes packed with power under the traditional Predator casing. Arming itself with a new GTX 1060 by NVIDIA along with a superimposed processor of the new i7 (7700HQ) series, the Helios is everything one could need.

For the hardworking graphic designer, the screen is a generic FHD at 15.6 inches, but under the hood lies a powerful battery capable of running intensive programs such as Photoshop and Lightroom for an easy five hours! Not only so, but the GPU unit by NVIDIA also has 3GB dedicated graphics memory along with 16 GB RAM. The Acer Predator Helios 300 is the perfect laptop for graphic designers and 3D modelers/animators alike.

2. Microsoft Surface Pro 4

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Slowly it seemed that Microsoft was losing in the hardware monopoly that runs the computer world while up-keeping their software game intact. However, when the Surface Pro was introduced, all the dreams of possible takeovers as the new giants of the electronic industry were shattered for all competitive companies. In a 12.3 inch screen and a 1.7-pound casing, Microsoft came out with 2-1 laptop solution which boasts power beyond measure.

With a 3.5 GHz Core i7(7700HQ) processor and a 4GB RAM with flash memory SSD storage facilities, the Surface Book may seem weak but is a lot stronger than most would consider. With an integrated graphics card by Intel themselves, all graphic designing software bow to the mighty hand of the Surface Pro, unto do its bidding. It is a tool only for those who wish to stand out from the rest.

3. Apple MacBook Pro

The MacBook Pro is truly a laptop built for graphic designing and 2D/3D animation. Keeping its high end specifications aside, its Retina Display is truly the best display on the market. With perfect sharpness, brightness and excellent viewing angles, this laptop is a Graphics Designer’s dream (which is why it’s on number 3 on our list of the best computers for graphics designers in 2017).

Along with that superb display, the MacBook comes with excellent specs that are built to last. It comes with a Quad Core Intel i7 CPU, 16GB of DDR3L RAM and 512GB of fast flash storage. It sports at beautiful 15.4-inch screen with a resolution of 2880x1800 that is powered by Intel HD Graphics 530.

4. ASUS ROG STRIX GL753VD

We have all heard the name of the mighty STRIX series taking over the gaming and designing industries one laptop at a time. The boys at ASUS provide its users every year with new and better-performing laptops every year, but every once in a while comes a laptop with astounding power under its belt at amazing prices. The STRIX GL753VD has the power to knock over its more expensive counterparts.

Stocked with the new i7 (7700HQ) along with a NVIDIA GTX 1050 with 4GB dedicated graphics memory, this laptop is the best for graphic designers that are loyal to the ASUS community. With a 16GB RAM hidden under its hood, the 17.3-inch FHD display is not the only component that surprises its users. Discarding the use of a separate SSD component, the ASUS ROG comes with a 1TB mechanical SATA hard drive that runs at 7200 RPM, which makes it faster than most other laptops itself. With an average battery life of 5 hours, this laptop is a force to be reckoned with.

5. Acer Aspire V17 Nitro Black Edition

Down with the old and in with the new, the Nitro Black Edition by Acer is the newly reformed version of its 4th generation counterpart. The Acer Aspire v17 comes to all guns blazing with a Core i7-6700HQ with the NVIDIA GTX 960M Geforce GPU unit. Living in 2017 it may seem like a need to buy the new 7th generation core processor, but with the minimal changes that have been added, this laptop can overturn the clock rates of many of the newer models just by the sheer force provided by its DDR4 RAM.

Using a 17.3-inch FHD screen with a battery life of 7 hours, the Acer Aspire is one of the best budget laptops that have been made for tight budget designers for the past four years. With its 16GB RAM and sleek design, the laptop is a high recommendation for anyone getting into the designing market.

We talked about Acer and Asus, but we cannot forget to bring in our favorites at the gaming and designing industries. MSI 15 inch laptop is known as the performance gaming laptop, which means that it deals exceptionally well with high-quality rendering tasks required for intense gaming sessions.

It also means that using heavy designing software is a cinch for this elegant laptop. Bringing in the new i7 (7700HQ) alongside the NVIDIA GTX 1050 with 2GB dedicated graphics memory, the laptop is capable of handling anything your throw at it with these components. Not only so, its super-fast as well with a 16GB RAM and a 1TB storage slot. One of the best laptop for graphic design and 2D/3D animation under 1000 dollars in 2017 you can get. The latest 7th gen processor, 6GB dedicated display cards are the major factors of this laptop.

7. Acer Aspire R15 Convertible Laptop

Every designer has a certain way of how they create their much sought after drawings. Some use the mouse while some are more inclined towards the traditional pencil drawing. The Aspire R15 is a 2 in 1 laptop, with a tablet screen that allows for its users to create designs using the touch screen feature! Standing in at 15.6 inches with a 1920x1080 pixel screen, the Aspire also hides a 2.7GHz Core i7(7700HQ) with a graphic co-processor by NVIDIA, the 940MX, in its sleek design.

With the steel gray color on the outside and light and portable body, the convertible laptop also boasts an average battery life of 9 hours! That means you do not even need to carry a charger around for when the work gets heavy. Alongside, it also carries within a 12GB RAM with an extra slot for those who which to exploit its powerful capabilities.

8. Acer Aspire VX 15 Gaming

Once again Acer walks back into this list with another high-end laptop with a budget price. For 2017, within a simple design, Acer brings out a core i7 (7300HQ) processor machine with a NVIDIA Geforce GTX 1050TI with dedicated 4GB of graphics memory. If that does not blow away your high processing needs, then the follow-up of 8GB DDR4 memory with a nice 256 SSD would surely help to do so.

With an IPS screen at 15 inches, the laptop is everything one could need under one roof (or keyboard). With dual iron-plated fans and a battery life of up to six hours, this laptop inevitably breaks away all needs for the newly starting out graphic designer or pleases the eye of a veteran to the career. Also, when the work gets too stressful, you could always kick back with new games that this machine is capable of handling.

9. MSI GL62M 7RD-056 - VR Read Laptop for Graphic Designers

The new 2017 laptop with VR ready capabilities makes us question whether this is better than the MSI Apache Pro, or just a more refined version! The Leopard Pro-218 puts all other laptops into perspective. With the traditional, elegant design, MSI now provides us with a 1920x1080 IPS screen. Not only so, under its casing sits a powerful Core i7-6700HQ running alongside a NVIDIA GTX 1060 with 3GB GDDR5 dedicated graphics memory.

With overclocking capabilities of up to 3.5GHZ, this laptop also boasts a 16GB RAM along with a backlit keyboard for all those designers that work through the night to achieve amazing quality designs. With up to three different capable component configurations, MSI has once again amazed us with a quality laptop at an amazing price.

10. ASUS ZX53VW

At the end of the day where none other laptops make sense, one can always turn to the trustworthy machines created by ASUS. Manufactured last year, the ASUS ZX53VW supports a 15.6-inch screen which is highly suitable for those that require high colorized screens for their work. Alongside, it also hosts an Intel Core i5 6300HQ with a dedicated 4GB graphics card by NVIDIA, the GTX960M.

To further maximize performance needs, the Ideapad also consists of 512 SSD with an 8GB RAM much like the Dell Inspiron 7529, which thoroughly makes this machine a must buy for all graphic designers on an extremely tight budget.

We hope our above collection of best laptops for designers and animators will help you to identify the suitable laptop for graphic design and animation basic to advanced work. Since time to time Amazon offer good discounts on electronic equipment including laptops, you can buy the suitable laptop now itself.